One problem with LED (light-emitting-diode) illumination of large areas with a large amount of light is to manage the heat from the LED devices, and in particular, to prevent the large temperature rise associated with locating a large number of LED devices in a small area, to efficiently power the devices from a low-cost power supply, and to provide a low-cost substrate on which to mount the LED devices.
Architectural building lighting often needs different spectra of light and different amounts of light for different times of the day. The need for different spectra of light and different amounts of light for different times of the day also applies for light supplied to crop plants and therapy lighting for seasonal affective disorder (SAD therapy).
The conventional approach for home growers of plants is to select lighting depending on the types and quantity of plants they grow. As a general rule, inexpensive lights tend to be the most expensive to operate and least effective in promoting plant growth. Home growers typically choose fluorescent to grow herbs and to germinate flowering varieties. High-pressure sodium (HPS) lights or metal halide (MH) lights are often chosen for commercial-scale indoor growing of plants, but these high-wattage systems create excessive heat and consume excessive energy. All of these sources generate much heat and much of their light is in wavelengths that are not efficiently used by plants.
Some light-emitting-diode (LED) grow lights maximize blue and red light to provide a balance for plants, but high initial purchase cost has prohibited mass adoption for home growers. In addition, even conventional LED grow lights are driven with high current, often consuming 100 to 300 watts of electrical power, which leads to excess heat, forcing growers to keep the LEDs 18 to 30 or more inches away from the plants (which uses up valuable volumetric indoor space) and to use fans and air conditioning (involving further cost and volumetric space) in order to remove harmful excess heat.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,903,574 to Aaron J. Golle et al. issued on Feb. 27, 2018 with the title “High powered LED light module with a balanced matrix circuit,” and is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 9,903,574 describes inventive embodiments that include a device for distributing power to devices over an area, with a power density of at least one Watt per ft2 (or 900 cm2 in metric units). The device includes a flexible substrate; a circuit that includes a thin film conductor having a thickness of 400 nanometers or less, wherein the circuit is adhered to the substrate; a plurality of devices positioned on the sheet and attached to the circuit wherein each device of the plurality is driven at substantially the same voltage; and the power delivered to the devices is at least 90% of the input power of the energized circuit.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,471,274 to Aaron J. Golle, et al. issued on Jun. 25, 2013 with the title “LED light disposed on a flexible substrate and connected with a printed 3D conductor,” and is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 8,471,274 describes a flexible planar substrate including a first surface that is planar, at least one bare light-emitting-diode (“LED”) die coupled to the substrate and conductive ink electrically coupling the at least one bare LED die, wherein the conductive ink is disposed on the substrate and extends onto a surface of the LED that is out-of-plane from the first surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,607,815 to Pang issued on Oct. 27, 2009 with the title “Low profile and high efficiency lighting device for backlighting applications” and is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 7,607,815 describes a light source having a flexible substrate and a plurality of dies having LEDs is disclosed. The light source can be conveniently utilized to provide an extended light source by bonding the light source to a suitable light pipe. The substrate is divided into first and second regions. The dies are bonded to the substrate in a first region. A portion of the surface of the substrate in the second region is reflective. The substrate is bent such that the second region forms a reflector that reflects light that would otherwise be emitted in a non-useful direction to a more useful direction. The substrate can be constructed from a three-layer flexible circuit carrier in which the dies are mounted on a bottom metal layer to provide an improved thermal path for heat generated in the dies.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,617,857 to Froese issued Nov. 17, 2009 with the title “Illuminated window blind assembly” and is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 7,617,857 describes an illuminated blind assembly having either horizontally oriented slats or vertically oriented slats. The slats have structure that allows them to be illuminated. The slats can be A.C. or D.C. powered. The window blind assembly may have a housing containing rechargeable batteries. These batteries can be charged by photovoltaic solar cells that are positioned on the top surfaces of the slats. The window blind assembly can have a tilt/raise/lower pulley system structure and electrical servos in a housing extending across the top of the window blind assembly. An infrared remote sensor can be located in the front of the housing for controlling the electric servos and the switch for lighting up the slats.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,116,276 to Montfort et al. issued on Aug. 25, 2015 with the title “Room divider with illuminated light guide blind blade” and is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 9,116,276 describes an apparatus that includes a first holder configured to hold a light source and having an interface for receiving power to feed to said light source, and a light guide plate configured to be coupled to said first holder and guide light emitted by the light source out from at least one surface of the light guide plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,454,991 to Woo et al. issued on Jun. 4, 2013 with the title “Method and device for photodynamic therapy,” and is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 8,454,991 describes a photodynamic therapy method and uses thereof for treating an individual in need thereof, including administering a photosensitizer to an individual and activating the photosensitizer with a chemiluminescent light source, and/or a light-emitting diode light source, wherein the light source is in dermal contact with the individual. The light source is a chemiluminescent light source or a light-emitting diode light source and the device is adapted to deliver the photosensitizer to the individual and to irradiate a part of an individual to activate the photosensitizer.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,282,699 to Anderson, et al. issued on Mar. 15, 2016 with the title “Irrigation system,” and is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 9,282,699 describes an irrigation system that includes a carriage may move along a predetermined path in a reciprocal manner. The carriage supports one or more exit ports that are fed plant growth material by a pressurized delivery arrangement. One or more plant stands are configured and arranged to straddle the carriage as it moves along the predetermined path. The one or more plant stands form a chamber into which plant roots may extend, and into which the one or more exit ports are able to discharge their plant growth material. The one or more plant stands may include side panels and a cap to reduce infiltration of light and contaminants, and to enhance the plant root-plant growth material interface and absorption rates. The carriage and/or the plant stand(s) may include friction reducing elements that facilitate transverse movement. The carriage and/or the plant stand(s) may be supported by a modular framework.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,474,217 to Anderson, et al. issued on Oct. 25, 2016 with the title “Controlled environment and method,” and is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 9,474,217 describes an irrigation system that may include a carriage that may move along a predetermined path in a reciprocal manner. The carriage may support one or more exit ports that may be fed nutrient supply by a pressurized delivery arrangement. One or more plant stands may be configured and arranged to straddle the carriage as it moves along the predetermined path. The one or more plant stands may form a chamber into which plant roots may extend, and into which the one or more exit ports may discharge their nutrient supply. The one or more plant stands may include side panels and a cap to reduce infiltration of light and contaminants and to enhance the plant root/nutrient supply interface and absorption rates. The carriage and/or the plant stand(s) may include friction reducing elements that facilitate transverse movement. The carriage and/or the plant stand(s) may be supported by framework.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,814,186 to Anderson et al. issued on Nov. 14, 2017 with the title “Growing system,” and is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 9,814,186 describes a growing system and/or plant support structure that may include one or more feet supporting at least one or more uprights, on which a plurality of plants and/or grow boards for growing plants may be positioned. A nutrient delivery system may be positioned between opposing uprights to provide nutrient supply to a root zone of plants, which nutrient delivery system may be positioned adjacent each opposing upright in an interior chamber of the plant support structure. A light system may be positioned between two adjacent plant support structures such that it simultaneously provides light to the exterior surface of the two plant support structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,661 to Lebens, Bourn and Lemaire issued on Aug. 1, 2000 with the title “Method and apparatus for an L.E.D. flashlight,” and is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,661 describes an improved method and apparatus for hand-held portable illumination. An illumination source includes a housing, a plurality of LEDs, and an electrical circuit that selectively applies power from the DC voltage source to the LED units, wherein the illumination source is suitable for handheld portable operation by a user. In one embodiment, the first electrical circuit further includes a control circuit for controlling a light spectrum and maintaining a predetermined light output level of the LED units as a charge on a battery varies. In another embodiment, the control circuit maintains an average predetermined light output level of the LED units as the charge on the battery cell varies by changing a pulse width or frequency as the charge on the battery cell varies to maintain a given average light output. Another aspect provides an illumination source that includes a light-emitting diode (LED) housing including one or more LEDs, and a control circuit that selectively applies power from a source of electric power to the LEDs, the control circuit substantially maintaining a light output characteristic of the LEDs as a voltage of the voltage source varies over a range that would otherwise vary the light output characteristic. Still another aspect provides an illumination source including a light-emitting diode (LED) housing including one or more LEDs; and a control circuit that selectively applies power from a source of electric power to the LEDs, thus maintaining or controlling a light output color spectrum of the LEDs.
What is needed is a more efficient and effective lighting solutions having air-flow and/or other capabilities that are useful for architectural lighting as well as for growing plants, particularly in large mass-production warehouse indoor growing facilities.